PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
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BLOG POST FOR MARCH 17
We have arrived in Playa Junquillal, in the beautiful Guanacaste province of Costa Rica! It’s time for Spring Break Service Adventure to begin. 🌴
11 students arrived at home base this afternoon to see our rooms and explore the hotel that will be our home for the next 7 days. The last student arrives late tonight, and we can’t wait to meet her!
After we settled into our rooms and the sun started to go down, we walked across the street to our home beach to see the sky turn red, pink, and yellow. It was so beautiful!
We then had dinner, which was a delicious traditional Costa Rican meal called a “Casado,” with chicken, salad, rice, and beans.
We ended the night with swim tests and health checks, and then had free time in the pool! 🏊 some of us raced across the pool and others relaxed and cooled off.
Tomorrow is orientation day, and then we go to a local beach in the afternoon! We can’t wait to swim in the ocean!!
Pura Vida,
GLA Spring Break Service Adventure 🌴
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 18
Pura Vida! 🌴
Today was orientation day. After breakfast we sat down together and learned all of the rules for the program. We talked about the Code of Conduct, our service project, and played some games to get to know each other better. It was a long morning but the information was important to know. After we finished orientation, we ate lunch of chicken, rice, and salad!
After lunch we had our first mentor groups. We split into two small groups and had discussions about leadership. We identified good and bad leadership traits, and set goals for how we want to work on our own leadership this week.
Then we got to spend the afternoon at the beach! 🌊 The waves were HUGE and we had such a fun time boogie boarding and trying to catch waves. Some students laid on the beach to tan, others explored the rocks nearby. We named all of the different sizes of waves!
When we got back we learned 4 types of dances during Costa Rican dance class! Our dance teacher, Leo, had so much energy and made sure we had a really great time.
We ended the night with an activity and discussion about cell phones and social media and then had a surprise birthday celebration for Mila! We sang happy birthday, watched as she hit a piñata, and we enjoyed cold, refreshing ice cream and fresh baked cookies.
We are very tired after a full day. Tomorrow is the first day of service so we need to get some good rest!
Can’t wait to learn more tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Costa Rica Spring Break Service Adventure🌴
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 19
For our third day in Costa Rica with GLA, we had our first community service project. We woke up at 6:30 to get ready and we eat breakfast around seven. We then took a long bus ride to Guanacaste Water Center.
During this project, we learned about preserving water. Marcia & Alberto explained to us what we needed to do. For a break, we played a mini game called ninja. After, we started to plant many seeds by inserting dirt in a bag, planting the seed in the dirt and covering it with soil. Another group made signs for local rivers and creeks and painted them so we could hang them up in the community. Another pair of students sorted new seeds and old seeds so we could save water by not watering seeds that are not able to grow.
After the first session, we took a drive to a field where they had planted trees in the past. We watered the trees with large containers of water. We watered them two times so they could grow because it’s dry season. It has not rained since November, so the new young trees need help to stay alive.
After doing service work we traveled back to home base. We had the chance to watch the beautiful sunset. To wrap up our day, we had chowcircle, dinner, and then our mentor groups. Tomorrow we go zip lining!
– GLA Spring Break Service Adventure Leaders of the Day 🌴
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 20
Today was an amazing, hot, relaxing, fun day! For breakfast we had eggs with gallo pinto and delicious fresh fruit. We then took a bus to go ziplining! There were ten ziplines, a Tarzan swing, and two rope bridges. The longer ziplines were more exhilarating! After ziplining we had a healthy lunch of fruit and a ham wrap.
Beach time! We went to Playa Conchal where there were lots of shells on the beach. It was painful and beautiful. Painful due to all the shells being stepped on to get to the water. Beautiful because the water was so clear you could see through it. Many of us bought a pineapple with a smoothie inside in was so good. Many of us also got souvenirs that we will show y’all when we get home. Then we came back to home base and rested. Watched the sunset and had dinner music that was amazing. At the end of our day we had a meaningful discussion about pineapple production in Costa Rica. It was an eye opening topic and very informing.
Wishing y’all the best, can’t wait to share more tomorrow.
– Costa Rica Spring Break Service Adventure🌴
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 21
For the fifth day of the trip it was our second service day and we went to a local school in the morning. It was really exciting because there was some local kids at the school and we were able to play soccer with them and hang out with them. Some of us worked with Alberto to make a fort and the others helped clean up the garden at the school. The kids shared some frozen chocolate milk with us!
After we finished working at the school we went back to the Guanacaste water center and and continued the work we did on Tuesday. After we finished our work we had a very thoughtful conversation with Marcia and Alberto about future careers and our impact on the world.
Then, we headed to a cooking class at a costa rican woman’s house named Anais. She taught us how to make empanadas using fresh ingredients. They were really yummy!! Overall it was a very fun and eventful today and we learned a lot.
Tomorrow is catamaran day! 🛥️
– Costa Rica Spring Break Service Adventure🌴
BLOG POST FOR MARCH 22
Pura Vida!
We started our Friday with breakfast burritos on the bus at 6:40 and drove an hour to the marina where we boarded the Lazy Lizard catamaran. As we sailed to Honeymoon Beach, we blasted music, soaked in the sun, and enjoyed the breeze. We spent the morning snorkeling in the glittering blue water and swimming with the dazzling fish. At 10:40, we had a mouth watering lunch of burritos, salad, fruit, and cookies! Before leaving, we did some final backflips off the back of the catamaran and then waved goodbye to the little cove.
After driving back to home base, we had the afternoon to ourselves, swimming in the warm pool and playing cards on the deck. At 4:30, we separated into our final mentor groups and discussed what goals we have achieved over the last seven days and what goals we strive to complete over the next year. The sun set on our last day with beautiful colors and rolling waves. we said goodbye to Sherry, the wonderful ladywho runs the gift shop, and anonymously let everyone on the trip know how much they meant to us. The goodbyes were bittersweet but friendships that will last forever have surely been forged over the last few days.
Thank you to our wonderful, kind, and generous staff Sarah, Marco, and Juan Carlos for being the best leaders anyone could ever have asked for. And of course thank you to our wonderful bus driver Orlando for putting up with our shenanigans. Until next time,
– Costa Rica Spring Break Service Adventure🌴
